Apparatus for distributing lighting-fluids to lamps



(NoModeL) P. NOLAN & J. ANDERSON. APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIGHTINGFLUIDS T0 LAMPES.

No. 416,282. Patented Dec. 3, 1-889.-

P *TER NOLAN AND JOHN ANDERSON,

PATENT OFFICE.

OF ROCHESTER, ASSIGNORS OF ONE- THIRD TO WM. PUROELL, OF FAIRPORT, NElV YORK;

APPARATUS FOR DISTRIBUTING LIGHTING-FLUIDS TO LAMPS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 416,232, dated December 3, 1889.

Application filed April 26, 1889.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, PETER NOLAN and JOHN ANDERSON, both of the city of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in the Apparatus for Distributin g Li ghting-Fluids to Lamps, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 shows our system of distributing oil to lamps from a tank and through tubes above the level of the lamps. Fig. 2 shows our system of distributing oil to lamps from a tank and through tubes below the level of the lamps. Fig. 3 is a sectional View of the controlling-valve.

Our invention relates to improvements in the apparatus for distributing lighting-oils through tubes to stationary lamps and the means of controlling the flow of the oils. We

attain these objects by the apparatus described in the accompanying drawings, in which,in our overhead system, Fig. 1,A represents the main oil-tank, from which runs the tube 13 to the lamp-bracket. Said lampb'racket has a small reservoir 0 and one or more lamps K connected therewith by tubes. On the surface of the oil in the reservoir O rests float a, which is connected with the valve shown in Fig. 3, which valve is set in the end of the supply-pipe of the reservoir 0.

I11 the drawings, figure 1 represents the end of the supply-pipe upon which is screwed or "fastened the coupling, which has a perforated diaphragm 2. This perforated diaphragm checks the flow of oil and strains out the coarser impurities. Into the other end of the coupling is fastened the valve-box 3, having in each end a conical valve-seat, the apices 0 of the cones being nearest each other. Into these valve-seats fit two corresponding valves 4 and 5, which are adjustably connected upon a rigid stem 6. This stem continues down and is fastened to the float resting upon the surface of the oil in the reservoir 0.

In the system shown in Fig. 2, A is the oilreservoir. E is the same float and valve as just described. G is a supplementary reser- Serial No. 308,754. (No model.)

. voir, and F F F are the supply-pipes to the lamps K K.

In each of these systems stop-cocks may be placed at suitable positions to adjust or stop the flow of oil. Stop-cocks H and means of emptying the pipes and reservoirs by stopcocks L L may also be suitably added.

The operation of our apparatus is as follows: WVith the overhead system, when the tank A is filled, oil flows through the pipes B until it reaches the valve D. If the reservoir O is empty, the valve4 closes the supplyinlet, and must be slightly raised in order that oil should flowinto the reservoir 0. This may be done byany means; but a convenient method is to pour into the reservoir 0 sulficient oil to lift the valve 5 in contact with its seat, thus shutting off the supply of oil.

If the lamps are now burning, the oil from the reservoir 0 is slowly used, thus lowering the level of the oil in the reservoir and allow ing the float to drop. This opens the valve 5 7o and allows a small quantity of oil to pass into the reservoir from the supply-pipe.

The pair of valves above described, with the float, constitutea most delicate and efficient means of controlling a supply of oil through the pipe in which they are inserted, and are more efficient than a single valve or a pair of separated valves. The valve-stem 6, attached to the float a, so as to rise vertically therefrom, is threaded, and the valves 4 and 5 are tapped to fit upon the stem, so that they may be made to approach each other or to be separated from each other by turning either valve or both valves upon the stem. If sufficiently separated from eachother, one valve must always be open if the other is closed. The valves should beset at such a distance apart that both valves are open when there is an average level of oil in the reservoir O or E while the lamps 0 connected .with the reservoir are burning, and said valves should also be set at such a distance apart that if such level is lowered, say, about one-eighth of an inch, the float will fall and the upper valve will fall into its 5 seat and shut off the supply of oil, and if such level rises, say, about one-eighth of an inch, the float will rise, and the lower valve will rise into its seat, and will be held there by the upward pressure of the float. As a matter of fact, the valves are so set that when one is tightly closed the other is open only from one thirty-second to one sixty-fourth of an inch, and the larger amount of opening it is found is sufficient to permit several lamps to be fed through the valve. Then the valves are thus set, if the supply of oil from the main tank becomes too rapid, the reservoir 0 or E will fill, the float will rise, and the lowervalve will close, or it a rapid rush of oil comes through the supply-pipe from the main tank it will be checked by the upper valve closing in consequence of a pressure of oil upon the wide surface of the upper valve, the float will then begin to rise, will open the upper valve, will admit oil to the reservoir, and when the level of the oil in the reservoir has risen sufficiently the lower valve will close. If the consumption of oil by the burners is constant and the valves are properly set so as to ad mit to the reservoir a stream of oil equal to the amount consumed, the two valves will remain open and a small stream of oil will constantly flow through them into the reservoir, the level of the oil in which under these circumstances will be unchanged.

If the consumption of oil by the burners is constant and is less than the conducting capacity of the valve, a stream of oil will run into the reservoir until the float rises enough to close the lower valve and shut off the supply of oil until the level in the reservoir, on account of the consumption, lowers enough to open that valve and admit more oil. If the outflow of oil from the reservoir becomes greater than the flow for which the valve is set by reason of a leak at the burner or between the valve and the burner, the level of the oil in the reservoir will fall, carrying with it the float, and the upper valve will close and shut off the supply of oil from the main tank. If the float is made to fill the reservoir quite closely and the supply-pipe from the reservoir to the burner is made small, only a small quantity of oil can escape through a leak, and when that is exhausted no more oil can reach the reservoir, as the upper valve will be closed.

The operation. of our valve is such that oil can enter the reservoir only in small quantities (either intermittently or in a small constant stream) and the inflow cannot be more than the outflow to which the valve is set.

An important use of our device consists in inserting more than one of these regulators (composed of reservoir, float, and pair of valves) into the oil-pipe between the main tank and the burner. The regulator nearest the main tank secures the supply of oil in a small constant stream into the reservoir next farther away therefrom, and the second regulator controls the ingress and'egress of the oil from or into this other reservoir. This will give greater surety of a uniform supply of oil to the burners and also an additional safety against a breakdown, in that if one valve fails the other is sufficient to control the flow of oil. If a leak occurs in the conducting-pipes or in the first or second reservoir, the valve nearest the main tank will shut off the supply of oil.

In the lower system, Fig. 2, the lampsK K and the supplementary reservoir G are placed on a level. A pipe F, with suitable branches leading to the lamps, is connected to the supplementary tank. The oil in the tank is maintained at a constant level by means of the valve and float placed between the tanks A and G, which valve and float are the same as described with reference to the overhead system. By this method and means we secure a constant flow of oil to the lamps and by our valve provide against leakage from the lamps and the pipes connecting them with the tank A, and by reason of the stem 6 between the valves 4 and 5 we may adjust the flow of oil so that it may correspond precisely to the amount used by the lamps.

In either of the systems of distributing oil above described one or more additional supplementary reservoirs provided with an inlet from the main tank, a controlling-valve such as described, and an outlet leading to the lamp system may be inserted in addition to the tank and valve closely connected with the main tank A or closely connected with the lamps K K. The insertion of this additional reservoir and valve will give greater security against breakage and flooding of apartments with oil, because the first tank and valve will always control the supply of oil of the second, and if one should break down the other would be sure to act.

What we claim is- 1. In a system for distributing lighting-oils such as described, the combination of the tank A, supply-pipe B,and lamps K with the controlling device inserted in the distribu-' tion system, composed of a reservoir 0, float a, vertical valve-stem 6, two conical valves 4 and 5, valve-box 3, having seats for said valves, said valves being adjustably fixedupon said valve-stem, and said valve-boX being inserted in the end of the inlet-pipe to the reservoir, whereby one of said valves closes if said float drops below a certain plane and the other of said valves closes if said float rises above a certain plane, for the purpose described. 4

2. The combination of a main oil-tank supplying pipes and lamps with a reservoir containin g a float provided with a vertical screwthreaded valve-stem and two opposed conical valves adj ustably screwed thereon and a valve-box having seats for said valves and inserted in the supply-pipe to said reservoir, for the purpose described.

3. A feed-regulator for the lamps, consisting of an oil-reservoir having inlet and outpipe by a suitable coupling, for the purpose let pipes containing a float a, provided with described.

a valve stem 6, having adjustably fixed PETER NOLAN.

thereon two opposed conical valves 4 and 5, a JOHN ANDERSON. 5 cylindrical valve-box 3,11aving two valve-seats Witnesses:

for said valves in the ends thereof, said valve- 0. D. KIEHEL,

box being fastened to the end of said inlet- H. L. OSGOOD. 

